Kostur Pirati
Summary The Kostur Pirati, Skeleton Pirates, Skeleton Clans, or simply, Kostur, are a pirate culture of orkik breed. They raid from the western coasts of Pintara for slaves and treasure. The Kostur are notorious for their shrewdness and violence. They are known for sailing ships made from giant fish skeletons. History The Kostur Pirati are as old as their northern cousins, the Hvalmorder orks. Their first appearance in the historical record occurs during the War of the Children. It is said the Kostur were fierce and noble beings, having no craft of their own, and magically made. They were set against all men in the West Pintara, whether dwelling on the ocean or land. As the war ended and the Years in Ash began, the Kostur fell into chaos. The remaining survivors banded together and, having nothing but their swords, ships, and cunning, fell into piracy. Appearance Kostur Pirati, sometimes know as "Blue Orks," have a trademark tinge of blue in their skin. They are smaller than their northern cousins, less hairy, and more lean. Male and female are equal in height and bulk. The orkik wear a motley collection of leather and clothes collected from their victims. Most wear no armor aboard ship. And most fight with found weapons preferring hanger swords, cuttoes, and boarding axes. Society Ship-Bound The majority of Kostur orks are known and bound by their ship. Babies are born in the holds of their vessels. Children are raised to row and swim before walking. Male and female orkik share equal authority. The ship's Captain is father (or mother) of all--and holds the power of life or death over the crew. The captain may be challenged after each raiding season. The challenge may be by vote, or a fight to the death--captain's choice. Each ship has a home port, where it offloads its booty into warehouses and slave pens. Loss of a Kostur ship is catastrophic. If the captain has survived, he is killed. Many of his ranking crew also die. Remaining cargo, slaves, and survivors are bid on by other Kostur ships. Land-Bound Ten percent of Kostur are land-bound. They attend to the function of the Kostur towns and slave markets. Looked down upon by the ocean-going Kostur, these orks hold one huge advantage: they can read. They have quietly amassed coin, promises and power--while their relatives ply the ocean, finding treasure and thralls for the land-bound. Rank and Status Kostur hold a different concept of marriage and parenting. All relationships are conducted as trade. One ship may trade three children to another for a "wife." Another might trade two men for five children. Still another vessel might trade slaves or coin for a new crew member. It is all based in need, and by the Captain's will. According to Kostur tradition there are only two levels in their society, Kostur and slave. All Kostur are to receive food and aid before a slave. Those outsiders who trade with the Kostur are in a gray area. They remain in Kostur thinking always as potential slaves--never true Kostur. However, these merchants receive favorable treatment (often to the detriment of other orks). Their standing is a continuous source of friction between rival pirate groups. Governance "Each ship is a castle; each captain a king." The Kostur have a highly diffuse form of governing. It works well on the seas, where fellow pirates negotiate through a longstanding code who may take what. On land, the towns are barely contained chaos. Each ship-family has a vote in its home port. Those at sea often miss key votes or contracts, leaving a local cousin to vote in his own interest. Bribery is rampant, as local officials try to buy their positions, and keep the most lucrative slave trade to themselves. There are towns with two mayors, others with none. Food and Customs The Kostur are renowned and reviled for their cooking. They have almost no local farming, but an abundance of wild chilis, and yearly runs of candle fish streaming through the Pirati Strait. With this meager palette, the orks have painted a gustatory horror. Foods For their drink they brew a simple mash of rice, honey or sugar, packed with chilis, creating a potent wine called Varmvin, or Hot Wine. The orks drink it ceaselessly. Outsiders find it eye-burning, mouth-burning, and bowel-burning; barely palatable. The Kostur swear by it for ocean travel. And, although, it makes gums blend and loose teeth fall out, the orks do fight well (with few succumbing to full-blown scury). But the Varmvin pales in comparison the national dish of the Kostur: Sluur (or "Chuum"). Sluur is a creative solution to an age-old problem aboard pirate ships: how to keep clean water, and how to keep the crew fed. Sluur is fermented, pureed fish innards (along with other available meats). It is blended with chilis and clean water, creating what some observers called "pink slime." This food is bottled, put in casks, or carried in leather flasks as the main food of the sailor. The orks pair it with salt and Tuunk Bread (not a true bread, but a cask of coarse flour baked completely dry). Customs The Kostur always introduces himself by the ship first, his rank, then name. Most landbound orks follow the custom, substituting the town for the ship. A few have resorted to the custom of using their names first. Kostur of highest renown (those who have taken the most ships and slaves) refuse to "make-mark." Their word and deed should serve as an oath over the scratchings on parchment. Consequently, many a Kostur ship is deep in debt, after townsmen have signed on specious documents while the captain was away. The Kostur also share an honor code (more consistently upheld on the ocean). * Athcyrf, "Make the Cut." A Kostur upon age of majority will scar himself to demonstrate his allegiance to his ship --the longer and deeper the cut, the more loyalty demonstrated * The Three Deaths. These are a series of punishments meted out to Kostur who dishonor their ships. * Unbarco "One Boat." This is a means of resolving shipboard conflicts (and conflicts between rival vessels). Adversaries are placed in a raft, to fight until one is disabled, thrown from the boat, or killed. * Antes Daor. "Before Slaves." It is a assertion that all Kostur are above slaves. They must be fed and cared for before a slave--even if they are a rival. Location The Kostur Pirati ring the southern edge of Mor Cyfnos, the Dusk Ocean, on the western shores of the continent of Pintara. They have three towns on the Igni Isles, and control the a key north/south water passage, the Pirati Strait. To their south are the Igni orks, Praelborn Lands, Forja Solarii, and Pintari Empire Proper. To the north are the Fermi Fjora, Ruzlunds, Hearthlands, and the Hvalmorder. To the west lies the Mor Cyfnos, and the Ocea Guerra beyond. To the east of Kostur territories are the Jurat Almeseta, Ou al Nascut and the Effemeri. Estimated Numbers The Kostur are guessed to have 50,000 souls, of whom 5,000 are warriors 90% are orkik 10% are halfbreeds The Kostur have between 5,000 to 50,000 slaves Known Towns Wichstraat Wichstraat is the strongest, most prosperous town of the Kostur Pirati. It is a place of power for the orks, and place of terror for their slaves. Wichstraat overlooks the Pirati Strait. It is the most direct route for slave barges to and from Pintari Empire. The town is run by a council of the most powerful pirate ships' captains. Wichstraat has a deep, protected bay. The city is filled with granaries, strong rooms, inns, auction houses, and large dark Halls of Chain. Men of free countries are dismayed to find every level of degradation within the city's walls. Magshold Magshold is a town once held by refugees from the Pintari empire. Some were former slaves. Some were mages who had fallen out of favor among the elite families. But, with the blessing and weapons of the Mage Empire, the Kostur Pirati took the town for their own. In the past decade, Magshold has devolved into bitter feuding. Orkik clans fight for possession of its best slave pens, harbor berths, and merchant houses. Slavbid Slavbid is a rich trading city among the Kostur, second only to the Wichstraat. It too, has fallen into chaotic infighting. Allies The Pintari mages are in constant need of new manpower, which the Kostur are glad to provide. In exchange, they are provided with food, finished goods, and the occasional magic trinket. The Kostur also are paid in tar coin. The Pintari's most important contribution, however are high quality weapons and armor. The Hvalmorder trade oil for the Kostur slaves. However, each clan has been known to raid each other's ships. The Kostur also hold a truce with the Igni orks, pledging no attack against their island. Foes The Tide Farmers and all free peoples all along the western coast, fear the Kostur Pirati. However, .onl the Free Castle Confederacy mounts a stout defense for its people. The elves of Stathi crush any Kostur who land on their coasts. The Sea Rangers of the Southern Watch also fight the Kostur. Characters Lash of the Coasts, Captain, Bone-Cutter; Kostur ship captain Bone Cutter is a ork pirate of legend. He earned his moniker for his tremendous strength. Not tall for an ork, Bone Cutter still is an imposing figure. He wears his hair uncut, is heavily muscled, with warding tattoos and scars covering most of his frame. Bone Cutter wears no gold, and carries a simple, undecorated sabre. Its only affectation is its name: Rhyn Rhannu ("I Divide"). Bone Cutter is feared across the Western Coasts. He has boarded, fought, and personally killed the crew of over 20 ships who refused to surrender to him. His crews fight out of the town, Bloody Sails. The Finder, Captain, Water Eyes; Kostur ship captainCategory:Cultures Water Eyes is another ork pirate of renown. Fat, nearly blind, and hobbled with gout, Water Eyes presents nothing imposing to the observer. He instead, has a profound, possibly magical, ability to navigate--and more importantly, discover vessels to attack. Water Eyes can touch the waves, and within minutes discern where his ship is, and whether there is another ship on the waters (and to some extent, its size and heading). With this power, Water Eyes has made a fortune for his crews. And coin commands respect. Of Magshold, Councilor Oerllad Of the Straits, Half-Orkik Spy and Fomentor Oerllad Of the Straits is a spy for the Free Castles. He has worked for 15 years to split the Kostur Pirati in half; with an ultimate goal of destroying the pirate nation entirely. Oerllad plays an elderly slave merchant, a grizzled half-ork, with recent mage-tattoos and old marks of battle. He is fluent in many tongues, but uses a Leviathan accent to obscure his true heritage. Oerllad is quite wealthy (his spymasters regularly supply him with coin and credit). He uses the money for bribes, whisper campaigns, instigation, and to buy and sell among rival pirate clans. With every coin, Oerllad sows discord. Oerllad, through spy craft and years of bribery, has taken over two of the largest pirate camps (Magshold and Slavbid) bordering the Pirati Straits. If he can destabilize the greater city of Wichstraat, the Kostur orks will be cut off from the Pintari--weakening both severely. The orks will have far fewer swords; the mages far fewer slaves. Comments "They want you to run. They want you to scream. It warms their dark, ork hearts." --Leon of the Barca Rosa, survivor of a Kostur Pirati raid "Is this confinement a fate worse than death? I know not, for I have not yet died." --Anonymous inscription found in the Hall of Chain "A meal of slave? Not a good meal. A meal cooked by slave? A good meal." --Kostur saying* *(warning against waste, and wanton cruelty: a live thrall is better than a dead one)